List of presidents of the Marshall Islands

The following is a list of presidents of the Marshall Islands, since the establishment of that office in 1979. The president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is the head of state and government of the Marshall Islands. The President is elected by the Nitijeļā (Legislature) from among its members. Presidents pick cabinet members from the Nitijeļā.

President of the Marshall Islands
Būreejtōn in M̧ajeļ (Marshallese)
Seal of Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Incumbent Hilda Heine since 3 January 2024
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Amata Kabua
Formation	17 November 1979
Deputy	Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands
Salary	60,000 USD annually[1]

Amata Kabua was elected as the first President of the Republic in 1979. Subsequently, he was re-elected to four-year terms in 1983, 1987, 1991, and 1996. After Amata Kabua's death in office, his first cousin, Imata Kabua, won a special election in 1997. Casten Nemra, who was elected and took office in January 2016, was replaced by Hilda Heine one week later. The Marshallese president, David Kabua, is the son of Amata Kabua. The current Marshallese president is Hilda Heine.

List of officeholders

Status

  Denotes acting president

Symbols

^† Died in office

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Term of office			Political party
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Amata Kabua (1928–1996)	1979 1983 1987 1991 1995	17 November 1979	20 December 1996[†]	17 years, 33 days	Independent
—		Kunio Lemari (1942–2008) Acting president	—	20 December 1996	14 January 1997	25 days	United Democratic Party
2		Imata Kabua (1943–2019)	—	14 January 1997	10 January 2000	2 years, 361 days	Aelon̄ Kein Ad
3		Kessai Note (born 1950)	1999 2003	10 January 2000	14 January 2008	8 years, 4 days	United Democratic Party
4		Litokwa Tomeing (1939–2020)	2007	14 January 2008	21 October 2009 (vote of no confidence)	1 year, 280 days	United People's Party
—		Ruben Zackhras (1947–2019) Acting president	—	21 October 2009	2 November 2009	12 days	United Democratic Party
5		Jurelang Zedkaia (1950–2015)	2009	2 November 2009	10 January 2012	2 years, 69 days	Independent
6		Christopher Loeak (born 1952)	2011	10 January 2012	11 January 2016	4 years, 1 day	Independent
7		Casten Nemra (born 1971)	—	11 January 2016	28 January 2016 (vote of no confidence)	17 days	Independent
8		Hilda Heine (born 1951)	2015	28 January 2016	13 January 2020	3 years, 350 days	Independent
9		David Kabua (born 1951)	2019	13 January 2020	3 January 2024	3 years, 355 days	Aelon̄ Kein Ad
10		Hilda Heine (born 1951)	2023	3 January 2024	Incumbent	316 days	Independent

See also

• Government of the Marshall Islands
• Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands
• High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
• List of colonial governors of the Marshall Islands

References

1. Nitijela. "NITIJELA MEMBERS COMPENSATION ACT 1980" (PDF). rmiparliament.org.